Carolyn Wickware

Executive Editor

Carolyn Wickware is Executive Editor at The Pharmaceutical Journal

Pharmacists should be able to refer patients directly to secondary care for skin conditions, says APPG chair

Exclusive: Taiwo Owatemi, chair of the All-Party Pharmacy Group, has said pharmacists could "easily" help with dermatology referrals.…

Rising number of drug price concessions imposed on pharmacies by the government

Exclusive: Pharmacy bodies say the concession system is "broken" and warrants an "urgent short-term solution and more fundamental long-term reform".…

Community pharmacies made 89p in profit per item dispensed in past year, claims government

The government has reported pharmacies made 89p in profit per item dispensed in 2021/2022, despite pharmacy contractors reporting "huge losses".…

Supermarket branches at risk of closure could shift 1 million extra prescriptions per month to nearby pharmacies

Exclusive: Analysis of NHS data show that supermarket-based pharmacies at risk of closure dispensed a total of 984,246 prescriptions in the month of October 2022.…

Tax rate hike risks ‘slicing off’ access to new medicines for UK patients

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said the proposed tax increase under the statutory scheme for branded medicine pricing would pose "a real risk that companies will not invest in or bring new innovations to the UK".…

NHS to accredit ‘greener pharmacy’ teams as it looks to develop sustainability guidance

The provider chosen to develop the guidance will also be tasked with creating a programme to accredit pharmacy teams on their sustainability status.…

NHS loses £16m in COVID-19 loans after ‘significant number’ of pharmacy closures

An urgent uplift to advance payments was meant to "support pharmacies with their cashflow pressures", but hundreds have closed.…

‘Resilience’ of community pharmacies to be assessed as NHS England tenders contract for economic review of sector

The review will also look at the impact on deprived communities if pharmacies close.…

Pharmacy bodies launch working group on supervision to inform government legislation changes

The Pharmacy Supervision Practice Group held its first meeting in January 2023, and it will produce a report and recommendations for the UK governments.…

Generic manufacturers warn of reductions in medicine supplies to UK over tax rates

Mark Samuels, chief executive of the British Generic Manufacturers Association, said modelling suggested that 65% of member's branded generic lines would be considered for reduced supply.…